Minsk-Sana
Belarus has stressed that the European Union sanctions that it has imposed or is preparing to impose against the background of the migrant crisis at the border with Poland are useless and counterproductive.
"Makei informed Borrell of the steps taken by Belarus to reduce the flow of migrants from Asia, Africa and the Middle East towards the border with Poland," the Belarusian Foreign Ministry said in a statement after a phone call today between Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.
The statement stated that the two sides also talked about working with United Nations organizations to secure aid for migrants stranded at the borders in light of very low temperatures.
In turn, Borrell announced that he had raised with Macki the issue of "the dire humanitarian situation on the border with the European Union and that people's lives must be protected and humanitarian organizations should be allowed access."
Borrell had said earlier that Brussels "will expand its sanctions tomorrow to include any party that is part of the migrant smuggling operation" in Belarus, including airlines, travel agencies and officials.
The Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko considered earlier today that the migrant crisis on the border between Belarus and Poland revealed the true face of Western countries.
